Coffee Masters Mountain Water Decaf Coffee Beans 1kg – 100% Arabica - Roasted Whole Bean Ideal for Espresso Machines - Decaffeinated, Bold, and Strong Flavour

As someone who is truly obsessed with the taste of great coffee, I’ve spent years refining my setup and approach to get the absolute best out of every bean I touch. Whether I’m using my Niche Zero for single dosing or leaning on the Mythos One for ultimate consistency, I approach every coffee with the same attention to grind particle distribution, temperature stability, pressure profiling and flavour extraction. So when I say that the Coffee Masters Mountain Water Decaf is one of the very few decaf beans I consistently come back to, you can believe that it has earned its place in my rotation.Decaf beans often carry the reputation of being lifeless or dull, but this particular Mountain Water processed 100% Arabica blend offers a clean, balanced profile that genuinely competes with many mid-tier caffeinated coffees. It’s bold, chocolatey, low in bitterness, and brings just enough complexity to keep each cup interesting, especially when dialled in properly.Let’s begin with the taste. This bean has a medium roast profile, which is absolutely ideal for espresso applications. Anything darker and you start losing clarity, while lighter decafs often feel too vegetal or sour. In the cup, it leans into rich notes of cocoa and roasted almonds, with a soft caramel finish. There’s a hint of citrus brightness on the front end—think orange zest—but nothing overpowering. It’s well-rounded, clean, and gentle.One of the things I appreciate most is the consistency across the entire kilo. Whether I’m brewing the first shot or nearing the end of the bag, the roast quality remains very stable. There are no over-roasted or baked beans in the mix, and the density is good enough to avoid static problems in the grinder.Now, here’s one of the most critical points any decaf drinker must understand: decaf beans go stale faster than their caffeinated counterparts. That’s not speculation—it’s chemistry. Because of the decaffeination process (in this case, Mountain Water), the cellular structure of the bean becomes more porous. That means they’re more vulnerable to oxidation and moisture once roasted.This is where freezing comes in.Professionals like Hoffmann and many SCA-certified baristas frequently recommend freezing decaf to preserve its volatile aromatics. I vacuum seal my decaf beans in 100g or 250g portions using a chamber vacuum sealer and freeze them immediately after opening the kilo bag. When I’m ready to brew, I grind them straight from frozen. Contrary to some myths, grinding frozen beans does not damage burrs or produce erratic grind sizes—if anything, it can help with grind uniformity due to reduced static.I’ve done several side-by-side tests with the same decaf beans stored at room temperature versus frozen. In every instance, the frozen beans retained more of their top notes—brighter acidity, more perceptible sweetness, and a cleaner finish. The difference is especially pronounced after 10–14 days post-opening.Espresso is where this bean really shines, but it demands some finesse. Unlike some robusta-heavy blends that forgive overextraction, this Arabica decaf will punish poor shot times with thin body or muddled notes. Let’s go through the most commonly used espresso doses and how this decaf responds to each.18g In / 36g Out / 28–30 seconds --- This is my baseline “all-purpose” shot. It offers a full-bodied espresso with deep cocoa notes and that characteristic sweet backbone. It works beautifully for both straight shots and milk drinks. I pull this on a saturated grouphead machine with an 8-second pre-infusion and steady 9-bar pressure. The result? A syrupy shot with minimal bitterness and long finish.22g In / 42g Out / 30–32 seconds --- For milk drinks like lattes or flat whites, I up the dose slightly to get a stronger flavour that can punch through milk. At 22g, the body is thicker, and the flavour intensifies. Expect more toffee and darker caramel notes to emerge. I recommend dropping the pressure to 7–8 bars or using a lever machine to manually taper the pressure—this helps avoid choking the puck due to the higher density of the grind.11g In / 22–25g Out / 25 seconds --- This is my go-to for a light ristretto or when I want a quick afternoon espresso without feeling overloaded. At this dose, the shot becomes sharper, with the acidity coming forward a bit more—think tangerine peel and brown sugar. It’s a surprisingly sweet, quick hit that’s perfect after lunch.8g In / 16g Out / 24 seconds --- For a more delicate, tea-like espresso shot, this ultra-low dose is interesting. It won’t be to everyone’s taste, but when paired with precise pressure profiling (ideally using a lever machine), it extracts a very smooth, silky cup with a clean finish. The crema isn’t thick, but the flavour is refined. This method really highlights the decaf’s balance.Something every aspiring home barista should internalise: the machine matters. Pulling this coffee on a cheap single boiler with a pressurised basket will not yield the same experience as on a prosumer-level machine with full control over temperature and pressure. In my case, I use a machine that allows pre-infusion, flow control and full pressure profiling. For this bean, a slightly longer pre-infusion (6–8 seconds) followed by a 7–8 bar ramp up produces exceptional results.On lever machines, it’s even better. The gradual, manual pressure curve works brilliantly with the softer roast, extracting gently and evenly. When done right, you can pull shots that easily surpass many caffeinated counterparts in both sweetness and clarity.In milk, this decaf holds its own. It’s not the loudest bean—don’t expect punchy berry or burnt sugar notes—but it’s warm, creamy, and comforting. For lattes, I stick with the 22g dose and stretch milk to around 60°C for optimal sweetness. The result is a chocolate-milk-like cup that’s rich and smooth.In cappuccinos, where the milk is more textured and less voluminous, the decaf takes on a maltier tone. There’s a nostalgic quality to it—almost like drinking a coffee-flavoured milkshake from a proper old-school café. My wife, who isn’t usually a fan of decaf, has come to prefer this blend in her flat whites over many caffeinated beans we’ve tried. That says a lot.I’ve put this bean through both my Mythos One and Niche Zero grinders. It performs reliably in both, though with different characters. The Mythos, being a flat burr grinder with clump crusher, produces a very uniform grind with good channel resistance. The Niche gives a slightly more textured grind—great for shots with more clarity and character.One major plus: these beans are not overly oily. That means they don’t gum up burrs or generate problematic static, even in dry winter conditions. I’ve never had retention issues or static clinging with them, even when grinding from frozen.Let’s be blunt—decaf is expensive. Good decaf, even more so. Many of the high-end Swiss Water or CO₂ decaf beans go for £30+ per kilo. While they’re excellent, they’re not always sustainable for daily use. This is where Coffee Masters Mountain Water Decaf shines. At just over £20 per kilo (or less on promotion), it’s an unbeatable value.I regularly test other decafs—everything from speciality roasters to direct-trade small batches—and while some are spectacular, I always find myself returning to this one. It’s my baseline, my benchmark, my everyday decaf. And at this price point, I can enjoy multiple shots a day without guilt or compromise.There’s a reason this is the only cost-effective decaf bean I regularly repurchase. It hits the balance of taste, roast quality, consistency, and price. It behaves well across multiple machines and shot styles, and when frozen properly, it maintains its flavour for months.If you’re serious about espresso, enjoy experimenting with different doses and pressure profiles, and want a reliable decaf that doesn’t taste like cardboard or ash, this is it. Treat it right—freeze it, weigh it, profile it—and it will reward you with cup after cup of bold, smooth, genuinely delicious coffee.Whether you're pulling a quick 8g afternoon shot, crafting a silky 22g latte, or exploring nuanced low-pressure ristrettos, Coffee Masters Mountain Water Decaf is not just a placeholder for “real” coffee—it is real coffee. It just happens to be caffeine-free.

I’ve been a been a drinker of good Colombian coffee for the last seven years. Recently on medical advice it has been suggested that I switch to de caffeinated. The problem is, where do you get good strong full flavoured decaffienated coffee beans? I use a DeLongi Bean to Cup machine, so it is standardised brewing technique.This is my second kilo of decaf. The first one I tried was Coffee Direct Dark Colombian Decaff, and it was completely tasteless. This one is a bit better. It’s got some flavour, after increasing strength by 33%, but not the rich, strong smooth flavour I am used to. This one is less sweet, slightly more acidic, but so much better than Coffee Direct. The beans in this bag were noticeably smaller than I have used in the past (no idea if that is good or bad), one the coffee looks a dark orangey colour rather than dark chocolate. Not sure if that is the bean, or the result of the decaffeination process. I’m not hooked on this, I’ll keep looking till I can find a decaff to suite my tastebuds.

This is a better decaf than one I previously tried with none of the bitter aftertaste. I tend to have Americano coffee at breakfast and do not take sugar so the real taste comes through. I have a latte at other times of day and it tastes OK for this too. I have recently been trying decaf in an attempt to reduce my caffeine intake and this coffee works for me. I use a bean to cup machine so using good quality coffee is the most important part of enjoying a satisfying coffee.

Genuinely one of the best decaff coffees I've had. Very easy to dial in. It's on the darker side than what the bag says but if you like medium/dark roasts then this will be fine. I think I've found my daily driver for decaff now.

A nicely flavoured coffee I mix 4 decaf to one full caffeine. Just to get a little oomph but not too much.

Decent decaf.

Was looking for a really flavoursome bean with natural decafination.These beans are excellent, very good flavour, have a lovely sweetness to them.I store them in the freezer to extend the life and will be buying them again as we are getting through 1kg quite quickly.Another plus is that they have the roasted on date which is a sign of a good roaster, a lot just give a use by dateWell worth trying, you can now drink espresso martinis in an evening and not be wide awake all night

This is by far the best decaf I have ever had. I may also add that it is grounded to a perfect coarse for my espresso machine with no channeling and no leaks.I would say this is nicer than the swiss water decaf.